Financial Aid Disbursements and Refunds

Financial aid awards are calculated based on the number of active financial aid-eligible units you are enrolled in each semester at the time of disbursement. Waitlisted classes do not count as enrolled units and are not counted for financial aid disbursement purposes.

Units added after initial disbursement may not be paid until later in the term. Late-start classes will be counted toward disbursement once the class begins.

* If you are a first-time borrower or you have no outstanding balance on a Federal Direct Loan, you cannot receive a disbursement until 30 days after the first day of your enrolled class (per federal regulations). Learn more about receiving federal financial aid. Go back to note 0

All aid is disbursed weekly thereafter as you become eligible for disbursement.

A change in enrollment or an increase in aid eligibility may cause an overaward, which will stop future disbursements until resolved. Overawards may result in students having to repay funds in excess of eligibility.

Receive Your Aid/Refund

To ensure you receive your financial aid, make sure to monitor activity in your eServices and Los Rios Gmail (wID@apps.losrios.edu) account, including the following:

• Clear all Financial Aid holds listed in the "Holds" section.
• Submit all "Required" and "Assigned" To Do List Items promptly.
• Understand unit requirements in relation to your award type and amount.
  • Check your class eligibility in your eServices.

Outstanding fees are deducted from financial aid before calculating a refund.

Refunds and Disbursements

Los Rios is transitioning to Nelnet Campus Commerce for student refunds and disbursements, including financial aid refunds, scholarships, emergency funds, grants, and stipends.

Students should use eServices to update their personal information, and use Nelnet (accessed through the Los Rios Apps Dashboard (Okta)) to select how they receive their funds and complete verification.

Los Rios will continue issuing paper checks until Nelnet is operational and it is confirmed that the process is working effectively and securely. Paper checks will be mailed to the mailing address listed in eServices.

Transition to NelNet – Steps for Students

Verify Information in eServices

1. Sign in to eServices.
2. Select "Profile" and make sure your mailing address is current in "Addresses."

Your primary profile information including your address must be updated through eServices; it cannot be changed directly in Nelnet Refunds.

Open Nelnet

1. Go to the Los Rios Apps Dashboard (Okta).
2. Sign in with your Los Rios ID and password.
3. Complete multi-factor authentication, if prompted.
4. Select the app with the Nelnet logo to open Nelnet Refunds.

See Okta Login Support if you have trouble logging in through Okta.

Select Refund Method and Complete Verification

In Nelnet:

1. Select your preferred refund method. If selecting direct deposit, enter and carefully review your banking or direct deposit account information.
2. Complete any verification requested by Nelnet.
3. Check your Los Rios Gmail for verification messages and refund-related notifications.

If you change your refund method, a verification code will be sent to your Los Rios Gmail account from noreply-refunds@financialaid.losrios.edu.

You do not need to wait until your refund is issued to establish your preference. Once Nelnet setup is available, complete these steps promptly, especially if you are expecting the October 30, 2026, financial aid disbursement.

The disbursement date is not necessarily the date funds will arrive. Delivery timing depends on the refund method, processing, and completion of required information and verification.

Get Help

If you have questions about your financial aid, upcoming disbursement, or mailed check, contact your college Financial Aid Office.

If your disbursement is delayed and the delay creates an immediate hardship, see your college's Basic Needs resources.

Getting Refunds and Disbursements by Check

Checks are usually mailed approximately two weeks after your disbursement and are mailed to the address you have on record with the Admissions and Records Office.

If you are expecting financial aid, scholarships, emergency funds, grants, or stipends, there are a few steps you will need to complete:

• Log in to your Los Rios student account via eServices.
• Review and update your name, phone number, and mailing address.
• Monitor your Los Rios email regularly for updates related to all future disbursements and refunds.

Protect Your Personal and Financial Information

• Be cautious of unexpected emails, text messages, or phone calls requesting personal, financial, or account information.
• Do not share passwords or verification codes with anyone, including someone claiming to provide account support.
• Enter banking information and requested verification codes only within the official Nelnet process you accessed through your Okta dashboard.
• Do not click suspicious links or provide account credentials to unknown individuals.
• Monitor your Los Rios Gmail and eServices Message Center for official communications.
• Review fraud and phishing awareness for additional guidance.

Canceling Aid

You have the right to cancel all or a portion of your aid and to return funds:

• For grant aid, any time within the academic year (though sooner is recommended).
• For federal direct student loans, within 14 days of disbursement. After 14 days, repayment can be made through your loan servicer.

Complete the Decline of Aid/Intra-District College Change Form to initiate the change. Once it is processed, you will be sent a Billing Notice in your eServices message center with instructions on how to repay funds. If you need to make a repayment on the same day you submit your Decline of Aid/Intra-District College Change Form, please notify the staff at the FA front counter and we will have an officer assist you, if available.

Pell Unit Requirements

Enrollment intensity* is the percentage of full-time enrollment at which a student is enrolled, rounded to the nearest whole percent. For example, if full-time enrollment is 12 or more units and the student is enrolled in 7 units, the enrollment intensity would be (7/12) x 100% = 58%.

Beginning with the 2024-2025 award year, a student's scheduled Pell Grant award is multiplied by the student's enrollment intensity percentage to determine the Annual Pell Grant Award.

*The Enrollment Intensity only applies to the Federal Pell Grant. Other forms of aid will continue to be awarded based on Enrollment Status (full-time, three-quarter time, half-time, and less than half-time).

Cal Grant and Student Success Completion Grant

Cal Grant requires students to be enrolled in at least six (6) units of financial aid-eligible classes whereas Student Success Completion Grant requires students to be enrolled in at least 12 units of financial aid-eligible classes.

Cal Grant and Student Success Completion Grant disbursements are based upon the number of units students are enrolled in on the Cal Grant Recalculation date or Cal Grant disbursement date. This means that if a student becomes eligible for Cal Grant after the recalculation date and has dropped classes, we will only pay for the classes the student is still enrolled in when we disburse the aid.

Federal Supplement Education Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) and Federal Direct Student Loan Requirements

To receive an FSEOG or federal direct loan, students must be enrolled in at least six (6) units of financial aid-eligible classes. For direct loans, if a student is enrolled in a single semester and it is their final semester (graduating or transferring to a four-year institution), then they can request their direct loan be prorated based on the total units enrolled and remaining eligibility.

Repeating a Course

Federal regulations require federal aid to be awarded to a student only once for a previously passed course.

Overaward

Before each disbursement, the system will verify the number of units you are currently enrolled in and disburse aid accordingly.

An overaward occurs when a student is disbursed aid in excess of their eligibility. For example, aid was disbursed for 12 units, but the student's enrollment dropped to nine (9) units at the recalculation date. That student may be required to repay funds that they have already received.

Aid may also be recalled from BMTX, Inc., or students may be billed for aid in excess of eligibility.

Students are required to repay aid for which they are determined to be ineligible. Billing notices are sent via the eServices Message Center with detailed instructions.